A review by destdest
While I Was Away by Waka T. Brown

informative lighthearted relaxing sad slow-paced

2.5

It's difficult to rate memoirs because it's like you're critiquing someone's life or more so how it was portrayed. I liked this though I felt my interest seriously wane toward the middle. The ending was great. Everything came full-circle. Life doesn't always work out like that, but it did for Waka's story.

Overall, Waka's eventual understanding of her austere grandmother (
obviously, her grandma had a rough, dark childhood, but I'm glad Waka didn't make excuses and acknowledged her own feelings as well though certainly with more understanding
), the Japanese school life, and the language-learning process were the highlights.
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